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Updated on
June 14, 2010,
A.M.
asks from Los Alamos, CA
on
March 31, 2008

Gums Have Been Swollen in My 10 Month Old for over a Month, Probably 2

My little guy just turned 10 mos yesterday, he has 8 teeth already and has been getting teeth consistantly since he was 4 1/2 mos old. About 2 months ago I noticed his cuspid area on the bottom was swollen a little and red. I assumed the cuspids were coming. But they never came. I then learned that the 1st molars come in before cuspids, typically. The swelling then moved to the molar area. And the way it swelled was werid. The gums swelled on the outside (cheek and tongue side, not the top) so it looks like there is a gumball under his gums. I know it is probably the molar trying to come up that is causing the gums to swell like this, but my main question is shouldn't they have come thru by now? I know most baby books say this tooth comes in at 12 months, but he has been very early with all his teeth. Im concerned it is having a hard time coming in. My ped. is a really lax guy and isn't concerned. My son doesn't seem to be in pain but he does really chew on his fingers or whatever he can back there. My twins got all their teeth really really late, and I never saw this with them. In fact I think their teeth came in really quickly once they started to push up. The other reason I am a bit concerned is because I remember I had to have my gum cut open to let my permanent central incisor (front tooth) come in. I lost my baby tooth in the front and the grown up tooth just never came down. My dentist slit it open and that day my big front tooth started coming thru the slit. Weird I know. Has anyone else experienced this with your infant? What did you do, leave it or push your pediatrician. Thanks for your help and advice!

So What Happened?™

Thank you ladies, it was good to hear that this is probably normal for a molar. But I have made an appt. with the dentist just to be sure. The appt. isnt for 2 weeks, so perhaps they will finally cut thru before then. Thanks again!

Featured Answers

A.L.
answers from Los Angeles
on
April 01, 2008

You should take him to a pediactric dentist. Chances are things will be okay, but given that you had similar circumstances as a child I think it would give you peace of mind to have his mouth looked at by a "mouth specialist". Pediatricians are great but ... come on ... could they know more than a ped dentist?

More Answers

H.H.
answers from San Diego
on
April 01, 2008

I have three amazing children, and I have learned with each of them to trust my instincts. If you aren't getting the response you think you should from the pediatrician, seek another source. There are pediatric dentists in most areas or you could ask to see a fellow doctor in the same practice. If you are worried, seek answers until you aren't anymore.

I have a 10 monther too . They are so fun right now ! As son as my son got his first teeth I took him to the dentist , per AAoP guidlines. Why not take him to the dentist and see what it is and make sure everything's descending as it should be.

Sometimes gum swelling ( all gums swollen) is a sign of vitamin deficiency. The dentist would be able to identify that as well. Usually a dentist visit before age 1 is free ( at least most dentists here in Vegas offer that )

Take him 2 the dentist. Check the yellow pages for specialty in toddlers. My youngest had all kinds of problems with her teeth and it was due to medication for her asthma and narcalpsy. She was 2yrs old and all her front teeth were capped. I took her 2 a Dentist in Lakewood, Calif. They specialized in young children. Western Dental is also another to work well with children.

You should take him to a pediactric dentist. Chances are things will be okay, but given that you had similar circumstances as a child I think it would give you peace of mind to have his mouth looked at by a "mouth specialist". Pediatricians are great but ... come on ... could they know more than a ped dentist?

My daughter is 14 months old and only has 5 teeth. Her gums sometimes swell for about a good 2 weeks to a month before a tooth cuts. When a molar cuts it's sometimes longer and YES it looks like a big lump under the gum when a molar cuts. My son had big lumps under the gum until the molars poked out. I would give it some more time. My daughter is still working on a tooth in front and it's been swollen for 3 weeks now. I would just be thankful that it's not bothering him and he's not in pain! Good luck.

Hello. I can understand your concern, as a mom myself. As a holistic practitioner, I can tell you that SO many people, especially infants are deficient in minerals. So, a simple fix could be to add about 1/8 tsp of Coral Legend from PRLabs to your baby's milk/diet. In a couple of days you'll notice the swelling go down. Our society and food supply is deficient in minerals, which are important for fighting infection...which there is a possibility if your child is deficient that he also may have infection. So, start with the minerals, or check his pH and see if it's acidic or alkaline and then you will know for sure. For more specifics on how we can do some non-invasive QRA testing on your child and help him to have superb health, please visit our website at www.CreativeNutrition.com . We are located in S. Redondo Beach and work with many children and their pleased parents.

Hello there,
the first thought that came to my mind after reading was have you consider a dentist? i know he may seem to young to go to a dentist, but they are the best ones to ask any tooth related questions. i went to a vacontional school for dental assisting and i have heard of the slitting of the gums to allow the teeth to drop into there place. i also have experienced a dentist visit with my own daughter, at one years old my daughter triped and fell to the floor and chipped her bottom incisor. i took her to the dentist, he was so gentle we were even able to get a x-ray done to make sure it had not broken to far down. it was great, dont get me wrong my daughter was not all that pleasent but we got through it and the visit made me feel ten times better about the chip on my pricess tooth. we are now going back for a routine check up and like your son, she has one caine on the bottom that just has not broken through yet and i need some advice from a professional. i will let you know how it goes......

Hi my baby who is 2 1/2 was very early with all of her teeth. She also had similar difficulties and discomfort. Her pediatrician also was not very interested in the day-to-days of her teeth developement. I realize now that the teeth eruptions will happen in their own time and it is not uncommon for eruptions to start and then subside for a while. I wouldn't be concerned about the gumball (swelling). You bring up a good illustration about the incision your DDS had to make to help the permanent tooth erupt. Can you imagine having to have that done with a 10 month old? It would require Gen. Anesth. That's why it isn't done. Be patient, I'm sure things will work themselves out. Maybe call your own DDS, I'm sure he/she will reassure you of the same thing. Pediatricians hands are tied when it comes to teeth. They can only make the determination to refer to a pediadontist when it is severe and absolutely necessary because of the cooperation factor. Methods used to sedate/anesth or even take an xray are all too risky unless it is absolutely necessary.

About me: I'm 36 stay-at-home mom with my first and last 2 1/2 y.o. beautiful baby girl. Currently learning accounting for my husbands new contruction business. (Hard to find time!)Before this I worked for 15 years in dental field admin.

Hello A.,
the teething process can be quite different for every child. The books all go by an average of overall development. If you are really concerned, and want a more professional answer, make an appointment with a pediatric dentist, or an oral surgeon. These doctors will be able to access the situation much more accurately, then a pediatric physician. I hope, that this will help you and your little guy. Good Luck!

I remember my peditrician recommending that I don't start taking my kids to the dentist until they were 3 or 4 years old. My personal adult dentist also told me the same age. However, I did additional research and learned that it is actually recommended that children see the dentist for the first time at 1 year old. Knowing that, I would advise you to find a pediatric dentist and take your son to have the dentist look at his teeth. The dentist could identify any problems your son may have with his teeth and, if there are none, at least your mind will be put at ease which is worth more than gold! I have several recommendations for pediatric dentists in the Long Beach area if you live in this area and are interested. Just let me know.

Molars can take a long time to come in. When my almost 3 year old was a baby and getting his molars it took around 6 months. I thought numerous times that the teeth would cut and month after month would pass. His gums were swollen and he chewed on everything. If your doctor isn't worried then I wouldn't worry yet. My ten month old's teeth are coming in even slower than my older one. I thought he was going to cut his first teeth at 3 months but they didn't cut until around 6 1/2 months. That was a long 3 1/2 months. However if you aren't happy with what your doctor is telling you ask a pediatric dentist, they may have more information.